New ways with spice

Merguez sausage baps & harissa ketchup

North African merguez sausages are made with lamb and richly spiced with chilli, cumin and fennel. They’re irresistible topped with a crispy fried egg and served in a soft bap alongside smoky homemade ketchup – a riff on a classic breakfast bap. If you can’t get hold of merguez, try using another spiced sausage, such as a good-quality cooking chorizo.

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 1 hr EASY

8 merguez sausages
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 eggs
4 crusty white baps chopped parsley and chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

For the harissa ketchup

3 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
½ tsp ras el hanout
1-2 tbsp rose harissa
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
80g light brown soft sugar
80ml balsamic vinegar

First, make the harissa ketchup. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions and celery with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until softened. Add the garlic, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and ras el hanout, and fry for 2 mins more. Stir in the harissa, tomatoes and 300ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for around 15-20 mins, stirring often until the mixture is reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat, tip into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Or, use a hand blender. Sieve through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan to remove any seeds,.